Arturo Coello: “Chingotto and Galán deserved to win in Rome, I was below”

In an interview with MARCA , Arturo Coello speaks at length on the occasion of the Valladolid Premier Padel P2 , a very special tournament for him as it is being played in his hometown. The world number 1 reflects on his relationship with this symbolic stage, the defeat against Galán/Chingotto in Rome, his ambitions for 2025, his daily life between Miami and Europe, as well as his vision of success in padel.

A special tournament in “his” city

Born in Valladolid in 2002, Coello is going to experience a unique week. Playing at home, sleeping in his own bed, meeting his loved ones, feeling the energy of the crowd... An atmosphere he has learned to tame over time: "At the beginning, it was a lot of pressure. Now, I'm focused on the race for number 1, on my game, on myself."

The weight of defeat… and its virtue

Beaten in Rome in the final by Chingotto and Galán , his great rivals, Coello draws lessons from it: "They deserved to win, I was below. But this kind of defeat helps me reinvent myself." A state of mind that he claims, going so far as to say that he does not sleep after a defeat, and that he goes straight to training to free himself.

Respect for Chingotto, praise for Cardona / Augsburger

Asked about the sometimes unfair criticism of Federico Chingotto, Coello replies bluntly: "There are few players as resilient and competitive as him." The number 1 also praises the explosive talent of the young pair Cardona / Augsburger , which he considers a “reflection” of his own duo with Tapia: “They press you, they hit you, they suffocate you… They are one of the 4 or 5 best pairs in the world.”

A look at the season and the competition

Arturo emphasizes the increasingly consistent level of the circuit. For him, there are no longer any “easy matches,” and non-top 8 pairs like Guerrero/Leal or Diestro/Esbrí can cause a surprise at any moment. But he prefers this: “For the public, it’s much better than seeing the same finals over and over again.”

His life in Miami, his connection to his loved ones and to “real life”

Installed at Miami Coello appreciates the city's calm, its sporty lifestyle, and the team he supports. But what he misses? His family, his friends, his girlfriend. He confides: "The hardest thing is not being there when someone I love needs me." He maintains an attachment to his roots, while accepting the sacrifices of professional life.

A lucid vision of success

At 23, Coello refuses to reduce success to money or rankings: "True success is doing what I love. If I finish season number 3 having given everything, I will be satisfied." And although he has become a global star, he remains down to earth: "There is Arturo, the person, and Coello, the player. I choose to remain the first."

On the Galán / Lebrón relationship: time will take its course

Asked about the current state of the relationship between the two former number ones, he is diplomatic but optimistic: "They shared something powerful. Time will do its part. What they have contributed to padel is immense."

Benjamin Dupouy

I discovered padel directly during a tournament, and frankly, I didn't really like it at first. But the second time, it was love at first sight, and since then, I haven't missed a single match. I'm even ready to stay up until 3am to watch a final of Premier Padel !